PacWest Release

Newport Beach, CA -- The Urban Knights swept Holy Names in a home doubleheader on Saturday, winning the first game behind a brilliant performance from redshirt junior Nate Gercken. Gercken tossed his first career shutout, going nine scoreless innings and only allowing six hits and striking out four batters. His outing earned him PacWest Pitcher of the Week, the second time he earned the honor this year, notching the award after the first week of the season. 

Gercken has posted an ERA of 2.70 this year,  which is the lowest single-season mark in program history, striking out 40 batters in 60 innings and only allowing 54 hits. He is also creeping up the leaderboards in career strikeouts, only 23 behind all-time leader Zach Mexicano, and is 11 punch outs behind the single-season record of 51 set by Darnell Quinney back in 2010. 

Since he came out of his redshirt year in 2012, Gercken has improved every season by leaps and bounds. He posted a 6.39 ERA that season, and followed up with a 4.30 ERA last year and his 2.70 mark this year. The batting average against has dropped more than 40 points since last year, and his hits allowed has also dipped considerably, while he already surpassed his own career high in strikeouts (34) with three starts likely still to go. 

This marks the second time this year that Gercken won the award.